Who Ya Gonna Call? Investigating the Reasons for Gender Differences in Demand for Parental Involvement

Research has shown that married mothers spend more than 50 percent more time caring for their children than fathers. This inequality is associated with gender inequalities in labor market outcomes, capital accumulation, and economic mobility. Economists Laura Gee, Kristy Buzzard, and Olga Stoddard will examine the extent to which mothers are more likely than fathers to be contacted by their child’s school and how this varies by stated parent availability. They will conduct a large-scale field experiment for their study.